No, 10. 



Zoolofty important to Farmers. 



307 



ities for speed. And so the chain is filhid 

 up with links varying as the variations of 

 his wants require. In return for tlie boiicfits 

 which man receives from the beasts at his 

 disposal, he has obligations towards them, 

 which if he fail to perform, ho is held re- 

 prehensible by the moral, and should be by 

 civil law, while at the same time he is suffer- 

 ing pecuniary losses from his negliirence 

 towards them, inasmuch as the animal sub- 

 jects itself to vicissitudes which it does not 

 meet with in a wild and unsubdued state, 

 by becoming his servant. Among those 

 changes may be noticed the liabilities to dis- 

 ease, which we believe, in most instances 

 among the brute creation, arise in conse- 

 quence of an exchange from a wild to a 

 domesticated state. As long as an animal 

 ranges the fields or forests in native freedom, 

 it is the judge of its own necessities and 

 provider of its own wants. It eats such 

 things as are congenial to its nature, drinks, 

 lies down and rises up when it pleases ; — 

 but when brought under the jurisdiction of 

 " the lord of this lower world," it must obey 

 the injunction of eating " such things as are 

 set before" it — " and learn therewith to be 

 content," — while in drinks it is often brought 

 under principles of '■'■ total absfinence,^^ yet 

 sometimes allowed to drink to excess, and 

 this at times when abstinence might be sal- 

 utary. Fatigue in the animal is often re- 

 warded with the whip, and as its strength 

 decays, the excitements to go forward in its 

 compulsory path are increased. Who can 

 wonder, under such circumstances, that many 

 animals ar^. subject to sickness, and that 

 many, very many, do not " live out half their 

 days." Now, can man be a guiltless being 

 when inflicting cruelties on his beasts, or 

 when placing food before them which is cal- 

 culated to create disease and pain in them ] 

 Justice, mercy, indeed every noble virtue 

 which can warm the breast of philanthropy 

 forbid it. And we, in charity to our fellow- 

 men, believe that they would never be guilty 

 of such outrages upon them, were they not 

 ignorant of their nature, habits, &c. 



Hence we infer the utility, if not the ne- 

 cessity, of those interested, making that 

 science which has special reference to them, 

 apart of education. — And first their anatomy. 

 Whoever investigates this science will learn 

 that like ourselves they are " fearfully and 

 wonderfully made," and are admirably adapt- 

 ed to the circumstances in which our con- 

 venience may require them. Although they 

 possess a general formation and habits of 

 much hardihood, yet there are delicate 

 springs in their structure which, if roughly 

 touched, will throw the whole machinery 

 out of order. Thus in certain seasons, a 

 moderate rap on the horns of an ox will in- 



duce a disease, for which, comparatively, no 

 one can apply an efficient remedy. And it 

 is so through all tlicir varieties, and in all 

 the circumstances llirougli which they are 

 continually passing: they are liable to in- 

 juries at all times, and in a variety of ways, 

 which a knowledge of their structure and 

 habits might lead us to prevent. The con- 

 stitutional habits of the animals which come 

 within the range of man's care, must neces- 

 sarily be various as the different varieties. 

 The fine sheep of Saxony will not bear the 

 same management as the South-Down, or 

 the "old-fashioned " sheep of our own coun- 

 try. Of course they will not succeed with 

 such management. The difference may arise, 

 to some extent, from change of climate, 

 which may be remedied in a proper way ; 

 but there is a habitual and constitutional dif- 

 ference beyond this, which must be closely 

 observed, and its peculiarities regarded, by 

 doing which, not only their health may be 

 secured, but their pacific qualities developed 

 and realized. 



Loudon says, that, " of all mammalia, man 

 in a demoralized state is most injurious. 

 The remed}' is furnished by law, — preventive, 

 good education, civil and kind treatment." 

 The remarks which apply to man, as far as 

 preventives are concerned, are four-fold ap- 

 plicable to his beasts, inasmuch as the latter 

 never swerve from the habits which educa- 

 tion has enforced, and always reciprocate the 

 civil and kind treatment which they receive 

 from their boasting lord and master. The 

 importance of early kindness to domestic 

 animals is fully developed by the growth 

 and the kindness of disposition which, thus 

 early encouraged, characterises them in after 

 years. So an ox which is accustomed to 

 the yoke, even w^hile yet a calf, is broken 

 into his employment with less labour, and 

 makes a firmer and more valuable ox than 

 one whose disposition is unchecked, and 

 whose corporeal form is allowed unrestrained 

 growth for two or three years. lie possesses 

 more strength of bone and sinew. These 

 remarks apply also to the horse, and indeed 

 they extend in their proper application to all 

 domestic animals. The cow, which has al- 

 ways been kindly treated, is a gentler, better 

 cow, and of course rewards her owner more 

 liberally. So with the sheep, and even the 

 swinish multitude. The domestic animals 

 do not confine their obligations to kiud mas- 

 ters by mere labours of gentleness and ser- 

 vitude ; they carry expressions of gratitude 

 in their countenances for all the goodness 

 manifested towards them, and look uji to him 

 as their benefactor and friend. In health, 

 Ihey meet our caresses with joy, and in sick- 

 ness, with looks demanding our compassion, 

 they demand our aid. How great is our ob- 



